Friday, November 21, 2008

In terms of overall suckage, right behind getting into bands that have already broken up (Big Black, Pavement, and the Misfits are all particularly painful examples in my case) is getting into bands that now only play large venues. Interpol is a great case in point. I saw them at the reasonably intimate 9:30 Club and thought it was one of the best shows I have ever seen. I saw them a year or so later at the Portland Rose Garden and thought it good but not even great. Shows are just better in small venues. Not better for the band really, but certainly better for the listener. The sound is better, the audience is usually feelin' it and you are crammed up against a bunch of excited people. More fun for eveyone.

I am feeling this pain especially at the moment as I failed to secure tickets to the upcoming Vampire Weekend show at the nicely sized Crystal Ballroom. Next show will no doubt be at the Rose Garden.

Anyway, Vampire Weekend gets a lot of play in the family vehicle and the kids seem to dig it. They REALLY dig Oxford Comma and have even taken to singing the lyrics. All well and good you say, except that the first line (which is repeated) is "Who gives a fuck about an Oxford Comma?" So far they haven't sung this line and I wonder if it because they no better to drop an eff-bomb in the minivan, or if they just don't like the line.